


Six Minutes: Hero Worship

by blazichu



Series: Six Minutes [4]
Category: Ratchet and Clank
Genre: Crack Pairing, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-08
Updated: 2011-05-08
Packaged: 2017-10-19 03:47:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/196527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blazichu/pseuds/blazichu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fourth in a series of "what if" style oneshots:</p><p>While avoiding "Death by Snowball", Qwark has some time to-- gasp-- think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Six Minutes: Hero Worship

**Author's Note:**

> Again, spoilers for the Future trilogy.

For the love of himself, Qwark couldn’t understand what he’d been thinking, lately.

Granted, he’d be alongside the majority of the universe’s population for once, since very few beings could actually interpret his actions correctly, but that was rather sad considering the subject. The captain had just been acting…differently lately, in ways that most might not notice, since they would probably be distracted fairly easily.  
Sure, he’d been following Ratchet and Clank for quite some time now; but that had mainly been to stay up on galactic heroics and an attempt to snag the spotlight himself. On this last adventure, though, he wasn’t entirely sure _why_ he followed the lombax. Yeah, that reporter had partially guilted Qwark into it, but maybe there was something else going on.

From his spot, clinging to Snowball’s back (which was the only safe place, currently) he wondered when things had gotten more complicated. This, like most other issues, could probably be traced back to Apogee station just a few years ago. In the back of his mind, Qwark would admit that he was quite fond of the pair of eccentric adventurers; he hadn’t been sure what to believe when Clank had ‘disappeared’, but that didn’t last long. The stunned lombax left in the courtyard had captured Qwark’s attention not long after.

It almost physically _hurt_ to see that expression, and that fact (like many others) had the hero puzzled. Not many people recognized Ratchet’s efforts, which was something in and of itself. It wasn’t something that had occurred to Qwark initially, few things did, but the lombax was quite remarkable. Naturally quick and resourceful, handy with a wrench (in both the mechanically and destructively gifted senses) and witty, to boot; he’d changed over the years, but it was a change for the better. _Something_ had made the lombax realize that, if he didn’t alter something- and fast- he was going to be headed down a dark road; Qwark was simultaneously curious and fearful of what could have sparked that. Whatever it was, though, had a wonderful effect.

Qwark would never admit it, but the lombax had achieved a great deal more than _he’d_ dreamed of; the humanoid’s eight years of high-school had been focused on, among other things, melodrama, pranks involving pants, and (for four years, anyway) taunting Nefarious. That didn’t leave much room for planning a future. It was ironic, but, in a way, the celebrity had gained a sort of hero-worship for the smaller organic. Just for a moment (or five…what? It was a tricky subject!) Qwark considered everything that both lombax and robot had achieved. They’d saved Solana with a mostly-improvised plan of attack, kept Bogon from being polluted by…well…him, prevented the removal of all organic beings from the universe; the list just went on and on. Nowadays, it was hard for Qwark to find any flaws with how they went about doing things.

Yeah, he’d droned on about Clank being Ratchet’s only friend not long ago; he hadn’t wanted to be left out, though. Hey, the lombax had been aware of _his_ existence longer than his partner-in-crime’s! Could you really blame a hero?

Being both otherwise distracted and completely ignorant of such nuances, said hero failed to realize that he sounded quite jealous. Of Clank. That was ridiculous, of course, but he wouldn’t have realized that, either. Qwark couldn’t even divulge it to himself, he was so completely unaware, but his admiration went way past hero worship. All of those traits he held in high regard, heroics-wise, Ratchet had mastered; the same lombax had managed to avoid the limelight, corruption and (most) endorsement deals. (Really, it was impossible to completely avert, what with there being an impromptu ‘toy’ based on himself.) It would have seemed, were one familiar with the captain’s mindset, that the small almost-mercenary could do no wrong.

Ratchet himself was painfully aware of the fact that Qwark had been far too close for comfort, lately. Particularly back in Nefarious’s base, right after blowing up the space armada. That had been surreal, and (from wherever the lombax currently was) he really hoped that it had never actually happened.

Back when he was an announcer at the Imperial Fight Festival, Qwark had been telling the truth. The furry little hero _did_ remind him of, well, _himself_ ; an idealized version of himself, anyway. And, throughout his lifetime, there were several points that the celebrity had driven home, time and time again. One was that, no matter what the product was, he’d endorse it, provided there was a hefty paycheck (and several bananas) in it for him.

The second was that there was nothing Qwark loved more than himself.


End file.
